More than 250 residents of Barangay Manicahan were given free dental and medical services during the Dia De Alcalde on August 3, Wednesday.

Services such as medical consultation were given to 200 residents – young, adult, old, and pregnant women– while an estimated number of 50 residents benefited from the dental service provided by the City Health Office (CHO) in collaboration with the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Zamboanga Chapter.

Barangay Manicahan is approximately 25 kilometers east of the city. Barangay chairman Crisencio Natividad said doctors and medical workers would only come once a week.

He hoped that doctors and dentists would frequent visits to the Manicahan health center to regularly serve the residents. He stressed that the outreach mission was of great help to the residents of Manicahan.

Aside from the free dental and medical mission, the City Veterinarian Office also conducted free anti-rabies vaccination for different animals. The City Civil Registrar’s Office also served clients who sought registration of important events.

Present in the event was the Philippine Red Cross- Zamboanga Chapter that conducted bloodletting. The PRC was able to collect 13 blood bags in the barangay.

Recall that the CHO urged barangays to donate blood following the scarcity of blood bags in the city’s blood bank and the city’s mission to lessen the dengue cases in the city. — Juseph G. Elas (WMSU-OJT)